By admin 
About 500 protesters gathered on the Capitol steps Wednesday afternoon in opposition to legislation that offers to withhold immigrant support providers’ addresses from the public, clashing with a group of counterprotesters.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2624 Saturday, allowing immigration service providers to protect themselves from harassment or violence by removing their addresses from the public record. Opponents have termed the bill the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” in reference to an online content creator who attained viral attention for his videos alleging fraud by immigrant-serving organizations in Minneapolis. Those videos, in some cases, were quickly disproven by local journalists. But they were cited by White House officials in the subsequent federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Rally participants and counterprotesters engaged in verbal and physical altercations across a barricade formed by law enforcement officers. The Sacramento Police Department reported two assault-related arrests but no serious injuries.
Rally participants wore shirts reading “Califraudia Republic” — a nod to Shirley’s online terminology — and “Stop Gavin New-scum,” many emblazoned with the California flag or Gov. Gavin Newsom’s face.
They held signs and waved American flags as they milled the Capitol’s front lawn. “Questioning fraud is a citizen’s right,” read one protester’s sign, while others condemned California lawmakers: the words “Fire them All!” captioned a photo of Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and other officials.
Counterprotesters, meanwhile, marched from Crocker Park to the California State Capitol, chanting “f— Nick Shirley,” “f— Trump,” and “Racists go home,” while carrying signs and flags reading “Resist fascism,” “Hate don’t make America great” and “Stop ICE terror now.” Some spoke into loudspeakers, others beat drums and one person played a trumpet. Several wore face coverings and carried riot shields.
Shirley, protesters say fight against fraud is ‘just beginning’
The rally drew groups including the California Family Council, the California Republican Assembly and lobbyists for Hilton and attorney general candidate Michael Gates.
CRA Vice President Jim Shoemaker said that the organization aims to reduce state oversight of all kinds in California. According to Shoemaker, the CRA chose to join Wednesday’s rally to advocate against future legislation that would “regulate the people on all fronts.”
“(The Legislature) wants to regulate everything, and I think the people need to start stepping up and telling them … we need the Legislature to do its job and stay within the bounds of their oath of office in the Constitution,” Shoemaker said.
Shirley has posted multiple videos to his X account alleging widespread fraud in California. Several of the clips depict Shirley approaching Democratic legislators as they exit the Capitol building, attracting widespread public awareness of the bill.
Shirley’s accusations came amid a long-standing conflict between federal and state officials regarding claims of fiscal mismanagement in California. State Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, condemned Bonta’s handling of fraud in California over the last several years.
“We have an attorney general that’s not prosecuting people and stealing from the people of California, so we need Nick Shirley more than ever,” Strickland said. “This law discourages people like Nick Shirley, citizens who ask tough questions that hold their government accountable. I’m concerned that the new law raises serious amendment issues of the First Amendment and the freedom of speech and the freedom of press.”
Newsom and Bonta have responded with sharp pushback and recent hospice fraud arrests, amid growing pressure from the Trump administration.
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In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Strickland said he saw Shirley’s video claiming to uncover fraud in Somali-run Minnesota daycare centers, which originally garnered Shirley’s internet fame. Strickland said he encouraged Shirley to visit California and investigate fraud in the state shortly after the video was posted online.
“I said, ‘Nick, if you want to find fraud, come to California. Nothing’s in Minnesota compared to here,’” Strickland said. “He came and he uncovered a lot of this fraud within the hospice care system.”
Shirley, whose speech at the Capitol drew raucous applause and cheers from the gathered crowd, said that the “battle” against fraud in California is “just starting.”
“Politicians have learned that they can use immigrant communities and use nonprofits and NGOs and funnel millions upon millions of your tax dollars into these (organizations),” Shirley said. “For so long nobody ever looked into them. Then I did. And now they want to prohibit people from being able to go and film these locations to expose it.”
Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, who authored the bill, and other supporters of the legislation have maintained that it would only restrict the online publication of information with the explicit intent to incite or threaten violence against an individual.
Counterprotesters oppose ‘far-right extremists,’ ‘fascists’
Counterprotesters called rally participants “far-right extremists”, “fascists” and “white supremacists,” voicing opposition toward Nick Shirley and his supporters.
“I came here today to show that we are not going to allow fascists and white supremacists to come into our city unchecked,” said counterprotester Alyssa Gatti. “I think that Nick Shirley is here because he wants to continue doxxing people and putting their lives in danger, and any opposition to the (Stop) Nick Shirley Act is likely in favor of white supremacy.”
Counterprotester James “Faygo” Clark echoed Gatti, saying Shirley “tries to start problems in different communities, harasses people and spreads a message of hate.”
“As somebody that loves the diversity of our city, loves my neighbors, I can’t stand idly by while someone’s spreading rhetoric that harms the people in my community,” he said.
Bill McDonald, who wore a “Veterans against Fascism,” t-shirt, called Shirley’s conduct “totally un-American, unpatriotic.” He said he believes it is important for people “that look like (him)” — white men — to use their privilege to stand up for others.
Another counterprotester, Jennifer Wood, said AB 2624 has been mischaracterized by opponents.
“It protects people who are providing services to immigrants and prevents them — their lives and their livelihoods and their families — from being threatened,” Wood said. “It has nothing to do with so-called citizen journalism that these people are trying to say it (does).”
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This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 4:57 PM.